Community Projects
Humanitarian and Community Projects
Current Projects
DO A GOOD DEED 2010 WINNER
I wish to announce that the winner of my second annual Do A Good Deed Contest is Alana Freifeld, who wrote an essay describing her project, "Hope for Haiti'", which was a benefit for Haitian earthquake victims. (See Napa Register article of Tuesday, February 16. http://bit.ly/aG7WD0 ) I was especially impressed with her drive and passion for helping and altruism as demonstrated by her ability to bring other students, business owners, and even the Lincoln Theatre into the project. Alana will receive a laptop computer from Dell as winner.
My Do A Good Deed contest is designed for the youth of the community to foster volunteerism and the giving of time, talent, and self for the pure pleasure of selflessness which only comes when such gifts are donated. Students are asked to describe, in an essay, a "good deed" they performed. I received many essays this year which reinforces my belief that a great many of our youth are positively directed with a heart for generosity.
My personal experiences with the Flying Doctors, Free Dental Emergency Days, and my many humanitarian trips have reinforced a personal passion for volunteerism which I love encouraging in our youth.
Congratulations, Alana Freifled, for your fabulous Good Deed! You are a true winner in life! Enjoy your new laptop!
Here us her essay:
HOPE FOR HAITI
The recent earthquake in Haiti was a disaster that I could not choose to ignore. However, my high school failed to be as responsive to the disaster as I thought suitable. Therefore a good friend and I took it upon ourselves to found "Hope for Haiti" only four days after the devastating earthquake in Port-au¬ Prince.
We began by reaching out to the community through a series of donation tables, dine and donates, t-shirt sales (designed by us), and change collections. To help us pull this off, we organized about 20 volunteers to disperse throughout our community and aid the collection process. In total, these events raised about $3,000 dollars. Although I was proud of the outcome, I nor my friend, were satisfied. We wanted to make a difference in a big way.
As an avid concert music fan, I had the idea to organize a benefit concert. With the idea that music is a connective thread that can bring people from all backgrounds together, my friend and I began organizing this benefit concert. No single group of people can be relied pick up the pieces of Haiti. Race, age, and socioeconomic status should not be a discriminatory factor for those with the hearts to help.
We were able to split the work fairly evenly. She was in charge of media outreach and volunteer organization, while I was to find the talent, book the venue, and attend to all technical components of the concert. I wanted the concert to be at the Lincoln Theatre, a beautiful 1200 seat hall in Yountville, CA. By appealing to the director of the Lincoln Theatre through a series of passionate e-mails and phone calls, I was able to persuade the kind man to donate the venue.
Once the date and location were set, I began my scramble to find the best available talents in the Bay Area. I booked four very different bands in an attempt to appeal to a wide audience. It was at this point that my true leadership skills were required. Who knew that artists could be such divas? For the days leading up to the event and especially the day of the event I had to continuously check in with all band members, crew members, and technicians at the theater to fix their issues and ensure that all was progressing to plan. I found that the most successful way to lead them and maintain harmony was to always act like I knew what I was doing (whether or not this was true) and 2: always speak calmly and empathetically.
The most significant lesson I learned though this process was the importance of relaying on others. Rather than trying to control everything myself. I found I could accomplish the most by forming an efficient and pleasant working relationship with all those I relied on, from my Co-organizer to the ticket printer.
As I was the master of ceremonies for the event, I had the privilege to look out into the faces of the entertained and enthused audience. I cannot recall a prouder moment. The concert went smoothly and our "Hope for Haiti" organization was able to raise over $11,000 in total, all of which was donated to the American Red Cross.
Alana Freifeld
2nd ANNUAL FREE DENTAL EMERGENCY CLINIC, 21 MAY 2010
Today we had a gloriously successful Free Emergency Day at the All About Smiles Dental Office. With flyers distributed to all the community help locals, announcements on channel 7 morning news and over 5000 e mails sent to community leaders, churches and businesses many patients responded.
At 7:15 when I arrived there was a line starting at the door. Before we even opened the doors at 8:20 (The clinic was advertised to start at 9:00 AM.) we had over 20 people in line. I set out some folding and patio chairs for those waiting and we needed that extra seating in the reception area all day.
The team arrived for an 8 AM huddle and we outlined protocol and duties. Morning Buttercream donuts gave us enough energy to make it to lunch that was prepared by Desiree.
Dr. Evelyn Caubauatan who helped last year came to help again and stayed till after 6PM. Dr. Maryam Mohsenzadeh brought Tina the RDA that assists her in the Queen of the Valley's Free Children's Mobile Dental Clinic. Also Dr. Amine Khory pitched in seeing a few free patients in between his regularly scheduled patients.
We had 48 patients arrive from as far away as San Francisco and Berkeley by the time we closed the intake at 3 PM. Dr. Maryam had to go to a meeting at 3:30 but Dr. Evelyn and I stayed till almost 7PM. We had to give rain checks to about 8 patients that we will see later. The entire team helped out and even Kayla our intern helped out.
We did fillings, extractions, root canals, implant tightening and recommending. Melanie even babysat while Dr. Evelyn treated the mom.
Adrian
Helping Molly's Angels
Molly's Angels Fundraising Event Launch!
Molly's Angels is what I consider that best senior help program in the public sector of Napa County. Click here for the heart-warming story how Molly's Angels began its journey.
Molly Banz, the founder of Molly's Angels, was the dynamic, charismatic public relations director, until she retired last year. While the board carries on the work seamlessly, there is now a great need to bring this organization back into the Napa Public eye.
To this end, the August issue of Napa Marketplace magazine will feature an article about this beautiful organization written by the board of directors and me.
We will have an ad (see below) in both the local newspaper and in Napa Valley Marketplace magazine in July and in the August issue.
We have a few simple ideas for you to choose in support of the fundraising campaign for this worthy organization.
1. Similar to the Smiles for Life teeth whitening program, for the months of July and August, anyone may have their teeth whitened for FREE by donating to Molly's Angels an amount less than our usual teeth whitening fee.
2. Be An Angel, Buy An Angel Program consists of donating a small amount ($1) or more and getting your name on an angel cut-out which is displayed prominently in our office and participating businesses we enroll though out Napa.
3. Offering other business to participate in the Be An Angel, Buy An Angel Program. Molly's Angels organization would be responsible for supplying the businesses with the cut-outs and picking up the donations.
4. Join Molly's Angels organization for the dues of $1 per month or $12 per year. I want to encourage all the online readers to go to mollysangels.comsite to join. Any business to call Molly's and say they want to participate in Be and Angel buy an angel project.
Click here to see our flyer about Molly's Angels
Do A Good Deed Contest
Date: April 15th 2009
For the nest 6 months I am sponsoring an essay contest that rewards GOOD DEEDS done by children and teenagers to encourage them to make the right choices in life.
Everybody on this planet has a vested interest in providing a stable foundation of moral values for our youngsters. As a father and a dentist who treats children, I believe that children deserve a helping hand in making right choices and in determining a course of action to achieve their goals without compromising their morals.
Rather than complaining about shortcomings, let's reward GOOD DEEDS!!! - After all, our youngsters do so many Good Deeds on a daily basis.
I am extending my help, guidance and motivation to the younger generation by giving away a computer to the winner of this DO A GOOD DEED contest.
You can help to forward this worthy cause, by passing out the enclosed forms to any youth and/or youth group(s) you are in contact with and encouraging them to start doing good deeds for their family, friends, schools and community. The best way for youths to enroll is by visiting the web site at www.napadentist.com and clicking on the Do A Good Deed logo. You can also fill out the entry form on the back of the flyer that is enclosed in the envelope. We will be giving the prize away around October 2nd, 2009. All essays must be submitted on line or received at the Valle Verde location by September 18th 2009.
Thank you for your help and partnership in fostering personal growth, self esteem, and the spirit of contributing within the younger generation. With the correct direction and guidance from us, our youngsters will indeed become the leaders of tomorrow.
Contest Ending Date: September 18th 2009
Location: 3416 Valle Verde Drive, Napa, CA 94558
Prize Giving Date: October 2nd 2009 venue TBA
Sincerely,
Dr. Adrian Fenderson
Past Projects
LMV MISSION TO GUATEMALA
My 5th trip to Central America with LMV (The Flying Doctors) was a return to Guatemala. Three times before I worked in the mountains near Quetzltenango also know as Xéla (shay-la). As last month's e-zine shared, I took 2 Registered Dental Assistants with me from Napa. Laura Hooker, my employee and Dulce Herrera who works for a dentist in my building. Two other dentists joined us, my friend, Dr. Fred Hecht and his assistant from New York and Dr. Charles Habekost and his wife/assistant from Sonora, California. This team worked with about 20 other health professionals and assistants plus hand picked medical students from the local University. Dr. Arinada Cifuentes was our local coordinator who made it all possible.
The scenery in Guatemala can be so beautiful. From the architecture of the Spanish churches to the rain forests covering the volcanic mountains. From the open markets with their colorful fruits and vegetables and souvenirs to the ladies with their colorful dresses.
We arrived in Antigua from the Guatemala City airport where we gathered for a kickoff dinner. The next day's bus ride to Xéla is about 4 hours long. Historic Antiqua is also the place we come back to for some shopping and site seeing before the long flight home.
The clinic went from 8 to 5 for 4 days and on Friday we quit at noon. Everyone was up at 5:30AM to get ready, eat breakfast and catch the 6:45 bus from Xéla up to the Mayan Village called San Francisco el Alto, an hour ride through the country side and small poverty stricken pueblos. On Thursday I had a pleasant surprise as Sophia Alvarez, a dental student from Guatemala University joined our team. She has been with this team before. She can be seen on the home page of the LMV site top photo, upper left corner.
At an altitude of 9,500 feet I was gasping for air and felt tired every night.
Those in better shape seem to have no problems as was the case with my 3 other trips to this altitude.
The combination of medical, optometry and dental teams saw over 1000 patients.
In the medical clinic a young boy was diagnosed with a serious heart defect. There were enough extra funds from the trip that we could pay for the boy's trip to Guatemala City and the operation to repair his major defect. How rewarding this was to hear! Yes, I saved some teeth with root canals and repaired much decay and removed infected teeth but nothing as dramatic as saving the life of a child.
I invite you to view my photos in the 3 albums I posted on my facebook wall.
www.facebook.com/napadentist
Our Free Dental Emergency Day
Friday, June 5th was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding days our office experienced. The well publicized Free Emergency Day and Blood Drive inspired dozens of families to line up bright and early at 7:15 - well before the 9 - 3 time frame we promoted. The crowd patiently waited for their turn as we performed extractions, root canals, fillings and crowns. We even had our former hygienist Dr. Evelyn Calayag join us from Vacaville to help out. She is always a cherished friend to the team.
We treated a young boy whose tooth had been broken for two years. With our help, his handsome smile brought tears of joy to his eyes! The Blood Bank mobile, parked in front of our office all day, greeted many potential donors; but was limited to less than a dozen due to their strict requirements. A very fulfilling day indeed! We served 22 patients by close of business!
Pay It Forward Story
I have been a dentist for 39 years, living 37 of those years in Napa, California. Recently I was able to meet a person I have known for 14 years but never met in person until last week.. The long term friendship developed before e mail or cell phones. The meeting was very emotional and took place in a foreign country far away from home. I, as well as my friend, believe that the start of our friendship and this meeting was guided by the hands of God.
In 1974 my wife Jean and I received t a letter from a student attending one of the largest Christian Universities for Spanish speaking people in the world located in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Cesar, a Peruvian citizen, was in his last few semesters of medical school and found himself in financial difficulties. His father had retired from Peru Petroleum the year before and due to government changes and corruption he was not receiving his promised pension. Cesar, who, since childhood wanted to be a doctor, had worked all summer long to earn enough money to finish school and send some home to help his father. Cesar developed a serious abdominal cyst and had to use all his saved money for an operation. The dean of finances would not let him attend the university or even get credit for his last semester until he paid the $1800 he owed and pay in advance for the coming semesters. Before Cesar packed up to return to Peru, and perhaps change careers, he wrote several letters to his friends and to some of their friends. Jean and i were the only one who responded.
My aunt was the head librarian at University of Montemorelos and I had visited her 3 years earlier to talk to her and some of her friends about some help I needed to expand a networking business in her area. She and her husband, who taught violin, introduced me to their friend who was teaching theology at the university . His wife was director of the music department It was through this teacher and their friends that Cesar got my name and address.
Cesar sent me a letter filled with an emotional plea to help him in any way I could. He sent copies of his grades and his bill from the university. Jean and I spent some time calling our Mexico friends, the university deans and others to check out who this man, Cesar, was. After much due diligence we decided to help him out. Jean and I sent money to the school and told them to notify Cesar that he would be able to stay in school and graduate as a doctor. His call from the dean that told him he could finish his medical degree according to a letter we received from him changed his life. He has since told us this many times. Jean and I have helped support orphans through World Vision and this was the first time we were moved to help an adult. In one correspondence with Cesar he promised to repay the money. We told him the best way to repay it was to help some student in school in the future when he was a rich doctor.
I had many letters from Cesar over the next few years. His gratitude was abundant. I even received a letter from his father still living in Peru. This letter was in Spanish. I interpreted most of it and it was full of his gratitude and numerous comments about how God put me in his son's life. I wept reading it as it was an emotional heartfelt letter from Cesar's dad. Jean and I helped him out financially until his graduation. We received an invitation to his graduation with a photo, which we keep to this day in our bookcase. We were unable to attend. but Cesar and I made a promise to each other to meet in person some day.
In between his graduation and Internship he made a trip to Peru to see is parents as his mom was facing surgery He had been away for 6 years. I got a letter from him while he was in Peru and he explained his internship was going to be in Villahermosa, Tobasco Mexico. During his internship he met a young nurse in the cardiac recovery area He married this nurse and again I got an invitation to the wedding. I settled for a photo of his wedding. After his internship he was forced to returned to Nuevo Leon to start his social service to Mexico. He then went on to get a residency in Orthopedics in Mexico City . He became a Orthopedic surgeon and a Traumatologists. He started working in a Villahermosa hospital and began his private practice. He had 2 children a boy who is now 11 and a girl now almost 6.. He kept in touch with me for 9 years and we exchanged e-mails when that form of communication became available. His father and mother eventually came to live with him and he became a Mexican citizen. In every correspondence we got thanks for what Jean and I had done for him in the time of his life when he needed support.
Five years ago I lost contact with him. The e-mails I sent went unanswered. In July of this year, 2008 I was cleaning up some old addresses in my e-mail and found that I had sent my last e-mails to Cesar to a very old address I had the new address. I had the feeling I should write him and fired off a quick note to see if he would reply. He did and we had a great visit on several e-mails.
He had become a very successful surgeon still in Villahermosa. What filled my heart with joy is the fact that Jean and I were still in his prayers and that he was supporting 2 students in college that were in financial stress. I thought of the movie a few years ago called "Pay It Forward". Cesar had become one of the finest Orthopedic Surgeons in the State Tobasco. His father and mother immigrated to Mexico to stay with Cesar and his family. His father attended a seminary and became an assistant pastor and started an evangelistic mission throughout the southern Mexico area. His brothers moved to the area and one still lives with him. His children know of our story and are growing up with his values. He has a passion for medicine and his son wants to be a doctor also.
I told Cesar that in the first week of August I was going on a Flying Doctors mission in Xela, Guatemala. I mentioned we were short on doctors and invited him to come and join us knowing very well this was most likely impossible as he was busy and had commitments at the hospital where he worked. In a e-mail back to me the next day he said that God had put us back in touch for a reason as he was planning a trip to the beach that week because it was his vacation.. He said he would cancel his trip to the Yucatan Peninsula if it would be alright to come to Guatemala and join our medical-dental mission in the little Mayan village. He wanted to bring his family and hoped that would be okay. I immediately made reservations for him and we put the plan in motion. He had 2 weeks to get passports for his wife and children and make the needed arrangements. At last we were going to meet in person. I was more excited about our reunion than my 4th trip to Central America with Los Medicos Voladores. I arrived with the team in Guatemala and when we were having our group dinner in Xela (Quetzltenango) with the local Doctor who was co-coordinating our mission, I shared this story of Cesar and let them know he was joining us the next day. I could hardly hold back the tears of joy and emotion I was feeling at that time.
Meeting Cesar the next day was also emotional. We hugged and stared at each other with tears in our eyes. We knew that God was in control of this moment. I met his children and wife. All three said thank you in English. His wife and daughter know no English and his son knows very little.. On the bus ride to San Francisco el Altos I gave Cesar the letter I had saved that his father had sent me. He read it first in Spanish and then interpreted it for me. His father had died a year ago and he told me the letter was a personification of how his father lived. He cried and I did also. We both are very emotional men.
We worked diligently at the clinics we established in the village. At the altitude of 8.500 feet the weather was cool but walking up the hills was exhausting. Cesar's children helped me in the dental section handing out free toothbrushes and toys to the children. Both his children actually assisted me when my assistant needed a break. Isis, Cesar's wife joined the nursing team and saw many patients. Cesar saw many patients too that seldom see a doctor. He discovered many cases of undiagnosed diabetes. Some that were very serious. He was praised by everyone there for his efforts and compassion to these poor people who had no access to medical care.. In an evening dinner he told the group his that God had played a hand in this family trip and the meeting of me, his long time friend and benefactor. His family loved the beach and were looking forward to relaxing on this vacation. But they all knew this mission was an opportunity their father would not miss. They later told me how much fun they had and how much they learned about the power of giving.
Cesar and his family left early as they had to travel back for a meeting so they did not participate in our last day. I spent our last evening together talking about his family, His deceased father and his future plans. He wants to join us again on next years mission to Guatemala. He plans to come to the International Association of Orthopedic Surgeons annual meeting in Las Vegas next February. I plan to take Jean to Las Vegas to meet him and his family.
For the non-spiritual you might say this story is just coincidence. Cesar and his family, and Jean and I know that God had a hand in our lives and it is He from whom all blessing flow.
India Mission Trip
Sunday, October 26, 2008
To Pastor Karl, First Presbyterian Church of Napa, Nancy Dornan, and all those who prayed for our India Mission,Dear Friends and Participants in this trip,
We have been home for 2 very busy weeks already and we apologize for not sending this letter sooner. First let us say that our trip to India was all that we could have hoped or prayed for and more. Thank you all for partnering with us and supporting us. What a blessing that has been!
Just a quick bit of background. We have been financially supporting the Karuna Sharan orphanage project since we first heard about it several years ago. We have heard annually how the project has progressed and when, 2 years ago, we were able to meet Pastor Karl and Suzan Silva, the founding visionaries of Karuna, they shared with us that the orphans have medical care provided by the state. However, when we heard that no dental care was available for them, a dream of our own took shape. For the last 2 years we have planned and organized and worked with the Network 21 India office and the leaders at Karuna to make the trip come together. In fact, it was only in the last couple of weeks before we left that the pieces really fell into place. Early in September Adrian received word that a portable dental X-ray unit, worth $8,000 and renting for $600/week, would be available to us free of charge, including shipping both ways from the manufacturer, from the humanitarian division of the company who makes the unit. Early in September we attended the California Dental Association meeting where we were able to speak to a company who shipped us, free of charge, small toys, pencils, and stickers. We were also able to speak to 2 toothbrush suppliers, one who donated some toothbrushes and one who sold us some misprinted ones for only a few cents each. We also received the joyful information that a compressor would be waiting for us!
Knowing that God's hand had moved powerfully to put everything in place, we left for India on September 28, arriving in Delhi on September 30. Met by a driver and a staff member of Network 21, the 3 of us, Adrian, Jeannie and Tiffany, reached our hotel and were grateful for a place to sleep horizontally and a delicious breakfast the next morning. We toured Delhi and Agra for 4 days, seeing so many things we had read about (including, of course, the Taj Mahal), eating wonderful food in restaurants picked and ordered by our very capable guides, and being driven by a fabulous driver who negotiated the indescribably crazy Indian traffic with ease and a very busy horn!
At 10PM on Friday we left Delhi for Mumbai on a flight where we should have had to pay extra for the extra baggage we were carrying for the mission, but for reason's we never could figure out except to believe that God's hand was there, too, we did not have any extra baggage charges. We were met in Mumbai by Atul, a member of Pastor Karl's church and our Karuna contact while we were setting up the mission. The next morning we again met Atul and Pastor Karl with whom we visited until Earnest D'Carlo, the CFO of Ambassador High School and Karuna Sharan, arrived to take us to Karuna in the town of Vassai.
Having learned that there is no power at Karuna on Fridays, it was decided that we would begin taking X-rays that day, Saturday, and save our touring of Mumbai for Friday. We were excited to get started on our real reason to be in India! The 2 ½ hour trip from Mumbai to Vassai was a chance for us to plan our week. Our lovely room at Karuna had a double bed and a single bed, a table, bedside stand, and clothes drying rack in it, with an attached bathroom. We were very comfortable there. The room set aside for the clinic was of similar size and also in the orphanage. Our hosts quickly furnished the clinic with 3 tables, a bench for our patients, 2 office chairs, and a stool, and we quickly set up the X-ray unit and the computer and began taking X-rays on the program we had previously set up. Adrian also did a quick exam on each child and needed care was recorded on a spread sheet. Working before and after dinner, we were able to finish the X-rays on all 40 girls at the orphanage Saturday.
Sunday morning we left early for Mumbai and a chance to attend Pastor Karl's church. It